


Expanding The Family

by loud_as_lions



Series: Ley Line Longing - TRC Drabbles [2]
Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: M/M, Past Abuse Mention, adam calls ronan out, discussions on parenting, everything's fine by the end, ronan can actually communicate it's a miracle, ronan overreacts, the usual amount of swearing, they are actually a healthy relationship in this be warned, violence mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-15 06:51:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14785578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loud_as_lions/pseuds/loud_as_lions
Summary: Adam and Ronan have a very important conversation.





	Expanding The Family

“Adam?”

“Mmm?” He looked across the table to Ronan, a pen sticking out from between his teeth, with raised eyebrows. 

Ronan chuckled at him, shaking his head a little. Adam grinned, knowing he must’ve looked funny with the pen in his mouth and his new glasses on. He was going over some papers for work, but it wasn’t terribly important since it was a Saturday afternoon, so he wasn’t in again until Monday. 

Adam took the pen out of his mouth and capped it, watching as his husband sipped at his coffee, a strange look about it. Adam couldn’t place it, but there was definitely something off. Something had been a little off for a few days now, but he didn’t think it was something actually wrong, so he let it be. Until now. “What is it?” he asked.

Ronan seemed to have forgotten he had tried to start a conversation, but it was too late now. All Adam’s attention was on him. “Uh. Well.” Ronan started.

Adam gave him a reassuring smile before taking a sip of his own coffee. They’d been making real progress with communication, the both of them. Over the past few years, they’d learned how to read each other, but also how to use their words better than either of them had been able to before. It was still a work in progress, but Adam was just thankful they were both trying, and their relationship seemed more at ease because of it.

“I’ve been thinking a lot lately. And I know we sort of talked about it before, a few times, but it was never a serious discussion. But now… maybe it could be. If, uh, if you wanted.” Ronan finally managed, and Adam cocked his head slightly. 

He waited a moment, but it was clear Ronan was finished. “That was great, Ronan, but…” Adam smirked at him a little, “You know you didn’t actually tell me what specifically you’re talking about, right?”

Ronan deflated a little, and it took a few more minutes and sips of coffee before he actually managed to say it. “Expanding our family.” his voice was soft, and Adam’s eyes widened. He wanted to make fun of his phrasing, because it was immensely obvious he’d spoken to Gansey about this conversation and was now mimicking something their friend had said. But Adam didn’t want to make this a harder conversation that it already was, or worse, turn it into an argument. 

“Oh.” was what he so eloquently managed instead. 

Ronan’s face fell a little at it, but he waited for Adam to process a bit before adding, “I know you were hesitant last time we talked about it. I get it, Adam, I do.” he reached across the table and took Adam’s hand in his, “But I wanted us to talk about it in a serious way, at least. Now that we’re, you know, in a better place to.” 

Adam nodded, a small smile on his face despite his reservations. “Yeah, okay. Let’s talk.” and he stood up, keeping his hand locked with Ronan’s as he took his coffee in the other hand and lead his husband to the living room. They sat on the couch, comfortable but facing each other. 

“So, you’ve been thinking about it.” Adam began, wanting to hear Ronan’s thoughts before getting too far into his own head about it. 

Ronan nodded, his eyes a little far away. “It’s hard not to, sometimes.” Adam knew what he meant. Living at the Barns, it almost felt like a crime not having kids. It was still filled to the brim with toys and games from Ronan and his brothers- toys that Opal had taken to, but was already grown out of. Neither Ronan nor Adam had the heart to actually get rid of any of them, even the ones that Opal had left teeth marks on. 

And then there was the fact of Declan’s wife, Ashley, being pregnant, and Gansey and Blue’s son Noel about to turn a year old. 

Yeah, it was incredibly hard not to think about kids, especially recently. 

“It’s Declan and Ashley that got you thinking about it, then?” Adam asked.

Ronan rolled his eyes. “No,” he said stubbornly, and upon receiving a pointed “come on” look from his husband, he sighed. “Not entirely. It’s more about the maggot, if you really want to know.”

“Blue?” Adam’s eyes were wide. 

Ronan got shy again, not meeting Adam’s eyes for a moment. “We were talking the other day and she just said something that made it… I don’t know. Seem more real, I guess?”

“Well?” Adam insisted, “what was it?”

He ran a hand over his buzzed hair. “She said… that if we ever wanted to… well, she offered to… you know… for us.”

Adam’s heart skipped a beat. “Blue offered to be surrogate?” he clarified, and at Ronan’s nod, he felt tears well up behind his eyes. “Not so much of a maggot now, is she?” he chuckled, and Ronan shook his head, laughing. 

They were quiet for a few minutes, Adam’s mind racing and Ronan observing him as though he was watching the wheels turn. 

Eventually, it was Ronan that spoke up. “So?” Adam focused back on him and shrugged his shoulders. 

“I don’t know, Ronan. I want this with you, you know that. I just…” Adam trailed off, and he wished he could just leave it at that, but the look on Ronan’s face assured him they’d be seeing this conversation through in full whether they wanted to or not. 

“Come on, just tell me. This is why we’re talking about it. I need to know, Adam.” Ronan insisted, taking Adam’s hand again in his own.

Adam nodded. “You know a lot of it already.” he told Ronan, “I told you before about how I’m scared of being a parent because of my own. But that’s not my biggest concern, if you really want me to be honest. Helping you with Opal has eased a lot of that.” he admitted, a small smile on his face.

“Okay, so what’s your biggest concern then?” 

Adam took a large mouthful of coffee. And then another. And then Ronan’s eyes widened. 

“It’s me, isn’t it?” it was barely a whisper, but Adam could hear the hurt in his voice all the same. 

“Ronan, listen to me, okay?” Adam pleaded, and Ronan nodded, though he wasn’t looking at Adam now, staring at their hands that were clasped on the back of the couch. “You’re amazing. And you’re a good dad to Opal. I know that. Better than anyone, I know that. But…” and he felt Ronan inhale, bracing himself for impact. “Your father…”

Ronan’s head turned back to his quickly, blue eyes meeting blue and Adam felt immensely guilty for bringing Niall Lynch into this. But it had to be said, and Ronan seemed to know that, because he stayed quiet despite his blood visibly boiling under his skin. 

“The way he raised you and your brothers… not only can I not exist in an environment like that, but I can’t in good conscience let any child be raised that way, especially our child.” Adam explained, and he thought he’d been respectful and made complete sense, but Ronan seemed to think otherwise. 

“You think my father, what? That he raised us wrong? Bad? That I’m fucked u-”

“No, Ronan. Stop, okay?”

“You stop. You’re going to blame your doubts on my father when yours-”

“Ronan,” Adam warned, and this time Ronan did stop, but he also banged his fist on the table as if that was the only way to keep himself quiet. “This is exactly what I’m talking about. You’ve got him on such a pedestal in your head, and for good reason. But he’s also the reason that I’ve seen you and Declan lay each other out more times than I can count.”

Adam watched as Ronan’s jaw worked while he digested his words. He still looked ready to spit fire, but his voice was calm when he spoke. “But that doesn’t… brothers fight. It’s normal.” Ronan insisted, but Adam heard a hint of questioning, too. 

“Not like Lynch brothers do.” 

Ronan seemed to think about this, and he wasn’t calm, but the anger he’d had a few minutes ago was dissipating. 

Eventually, he spoke again. “You’re worried I’ll teach our kids to fight?”

“I’m worried you’ll teach our kids to solve their problems with their fists.” Adam clarified. 

Ronan considered this. “I can teach them self-defense, though, right?”

“Of course. I just want it to be clear that it isn’t to be used on each other or anyone else unless they’re actually in danger. They need a safe and loving environment. I never want our children to worry about violence, for any reason.” he explained, and Ronan nodded.

“Maybe you’ve got a point,” Ronan told him. 

Adam smiled. “So when we have kids you won’t try to raise them like your dad? You’ll just be you?”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t get sappy on me now, Parrish,” he grumbled, and Adam’s smiled brighter. 

“So...” Ronan continued, “you said when.”

Adam furrowed his brows. “What?”

“You said ‘when we have kids’ just now.” Ronan pointed out. 

“Guess I did, didn’t I?”

Ronan smirked. “What does that mean, then?”

“It means… maybe we should have a conversation with Blue.” Adam said, smiling. 

Ronan eyed him. “If you’re fucking with me I swear-”

Before he could finish, Adam’s lips were on his. The kiss was sloppy and they pulled apart a few moments later, out of breath. 

“So, we’re really going to do this?” Ronan asked once he’d caught his breath. 

Adam grinned at him. “As long as we keep having these kinds of conversations... yeah. I’m in if you are.”

Ronan beamed and pulled him in, closing the space between them again.

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I've been thinking about for a long time while reading Pynch fics. They talk about Adam and Ronan worrying ADAM will be like his father, but nobody really touches upon the fact that it wouldn't be great if Ronan parents like Niall, either. I felt like this was a really important fic to be written, especially since half of this couple is an abuse survivor. 
> 
> Anyway, thank you all so much for reading! I hope I did this important topic justice!


End file.
